Three Graphic Design students from University of West London have designed and delivered a 42-metre mural for ReActon, the community reuse and recycling hub on Stirling Road.

The students — Gabija Butaite, Andrada-Liana Hanganu and Souad Hakim — study BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Visual Communication and Illustration) at UWL.

Their enormous artwork stretches across a wall approximately 42 metres long and two metres high.

But this isn't simply about making a concrete wall look better.

Telling the story of reuse and repair

The ReActon mural in South Acton has been designed to communicate what happens inside the community hub.

Its artwork represents activities including the pre-loved school uniform hub, book and toy swaps, bike repairs, clothing repair workshops and compost giveaways.

Together, those services promote the idea of keeping useful products and materials in circulation for longer rather than simply throwing them away.

That gives the mural two purposes: creating an eye-catching local landmark while helping residents understand what ReActon offers.

Greenford schoolchildren leave their mark

The university students weren't the only young people involved.

Children from Our Lady of the Visitation Primary School in Greenford were invited to design toys they would like to see available through a toy swap.

Ideas submitted by pupils Carter, Kaja, Mary, Mia and Zosia were subsequently incorporated into the finished mural.

It's a lovely detail because it means part of this large piece of South Acton public art has actually been designed by children from another part of the borough.

From university project to 42-metre artwork

The mural began as a live professional brief for more than a dozen UWL graphic-design students.

A judging panel eventually selected the proposal created by Gabija, Andrada-Liana and Souad based on the quality of their design and presentation.

The students then had to turn their digital concept into something capable of covering a wall on a completely different scale.

Professional mural specialists Paint Your Planet worked alongside them to make that happen.

There was even some interesting technology involved.

Recycled paint was used to create the base coat, while virtual-reality technology helped transfer the digital design into sketches on the wall before the final artwork was completed.

That combination of recycled materials, digital design and public art seems particularly appropriate for a project celebrating the circular economy.

Real-world experience for Ealing students

The project also provided the UWL students with something difficult to replicate entirely inside a classroom: experience of delivering work for a real client and a real public space.

Dr Isil Onol, Senior Lecturer in Design Communication at UWL's London School of Film, Media and Design, said the project gave students experience in areas including professional presentation, collaboration, client communication and public-facing design.

For South Acton, the result is something considerably more visible.

A formerly ordinary stretch of wall has become a 42-metre advertisement for repairing, reusing, swapping and recycling — designed in West London and created with contributions from young people across Ealing.

At a Glance

• 🎨 The ReActon mural is 42 metres long and two metres high.
• 📍 It is at the ReActon community hub in South Acton.
• 🎓 Three University of West London Graphic Design students created the winning design.
• 🧸 Children from a Greenford primary school contributed toy illustrations.
• ♻️ The artwork promotes reuse, repair and recycling activities available through ReActon.
• 👕 These include pre-loved school uniforms, book and toy swaps and clothing repairs.
• 🚲 Bike repair and compost initiatives are also represented.
• 🎨 Recycled paint was used for the mural's base coat.
• 🥽 Virtual-reality technology helped transfer the digital artwork onto the huge wall.

Original report: Ealing.News — UWL students design massive mural for ReActon recycling hub